how long should the axle be?

wle said:

i have an old 7 speed road bike
rear frame spacing is 130mm
the axle it has is like 135mm long
so only about 2mm is inside the dropout on either side
is this too short?

it could be probably, oh, at least 10mm longer
[i mean if i got another axle]
would this be better?
is it ok the way it is?

i don;t know if the current axle is the one that is supposed to be
there

wle

It is fine the way it is. The forces should be handled between the frame and the locknuts with a properly tightened QR Skewer. It is handy to have some axle "showing" to help with the wheel install process, but it is not required.

wle said:

i have an old 7 speed road bike
rear frame spacing is 130mm
the axle it has is like 135mm long
so only about 2mm is inside the dropout on either side
is this too short?

it could be probably, oh, at least 10mm longer
[i mean if i got another axle]
would this be better?
is it ok the way it is?

i don;t know if the current axle is the one that is supposed to be
there

It's convenient if your axle protrudes inside the frame ends but the
wheel is supported between axle locknuts and the skewer faces. As long
as it doesn't protrude past the outside of the frame ends you are OK.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:17:13 -0700 (PDT), wle <[email hidden]> may

have said:

i have an old 7 speed road bike
rear frame spacing is 130mm
the axle it has is like 135mm long
so only about 2mm is inside the dropout on either side
is this too short?

No.

Quoted message said:

it could be probably, oh, at least 10mm longer
[i mean if i got another axle]
would this be better?

Probably not, if this is the only fault you've found.

Quoted message said:

is it ok the way it is?

Has the wheel ever shifted in the dropouts? If not, then "yes."

Quoted message said:

i don;t know if the current axle is the one that is supposed to be
there

It probably is. The axle on a QR setup MUST be short enough that
neither end contacts the QR ends when clamped. As long as there's
enough in the slot to make the wheel stay put while you clamp it,
there's enough. In a pinch, even less may do; all that's really
mandatory if you're good at getting the wheel in the right spot is
that there be enough threads for the locknuts to clamp the cones in
place.

--
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Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.